


aftermath and growth

by funwars



Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, they get together! its exciting!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-03
Updated: 2017-12-03
Packaged: 2019-02-10 06:53:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12906507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/funwars/pseuds/funwars
Summary: Merlin's always been good at noticing things about other people, but he's absolute shit at noticing things about himself. Eggsy inserted himself into his life after V-Day, and he's grateful.





	aftermath and growth

**Author's Note:**

  * For [zacefronspants](https://archiveofourown.org/users/zacefronspants/gifts).



> is the title related? who knows! is this my first kingsman fic? yes! is this for sarai? absolutely! happy holidays!

Merlin is good at noticing things. As easy as that sounds, over the years, he’s gotten good at reading people. He knows when someone’s upset by the slightest twitch of a frown, he can tell if someone’s lying within the first few words of a sentence. He sees how Eggsy acts after V-Day, and he recognizes some similarities.

Not being able to cope with the death of someone so  _ close  _ to you before having to go out and save the world takes it’s toll. After Lancelot’s death, they had time to process. Took the time to honor his life in their own different ways. But before they could even  _ think _ about Harry’s death, while the gunshot still echoed in their ears, they were shoved back into the world. 

And now, it’s quiet. Cleanup after V-Day has been tough, but that’s mostly on Merlin’s and other agencies’ shoulders. It’s amazing how many people were believers in Valentine’s ideology, but the more time Merlin spends on the cases, the more it doesn’t surprise him. Rich, white men in positions of power? Of course they’d want to rid the world of anyone who  _ isn’t  _ them. The Kingsman agents are resting, training for the future when something like this inevitably happens again, and Merlin keeps an eye on Eggsy. 

Half because Merlin is worried, and half because Eggsy doesn’t trust anyone else to check up on him. Rightfully so.

He sees the way Eggsy clenches his jaw when someone mentions a new Galahad, and he remembers the poorly concealed pain whenever someone mentioned replacing his first dead colleague at Kingsman. He listens to Eggsy complain about his therapy sessions and remembers how pissed he was that he had to go, but how thankful he was that he could get everything he kept bottled up off his chest.

As much as Merlin hated distractions, he finds it nice that Eggsy has placed himself into his life. When Eggsy knocks--three fast, gentle knocks, with his second knuckles, usually standing sideways to watch the hallway past Merlin’s room--it’s second nature to let him in, and rarely does he protest when the younger settles himself on the couch and talks about his day. If he needs quiet, Eggsy listens. More often than not, Eggsy is the one to remind him that yes, he  _ does  _ need to eat meals like a normal person, or that no, he can’t pull another all-nighter planning an extraction that’s not happening for another few days. And he gets used to it.

Eggsy’s been stuck in the Kingsman HQ for a while now, but differently than everyone else. Singlehandedly saving the world takes its toll, mentally and physically. Between wrecked ribs and some nasty internal bleeding from blunt force, he’s been in and out of the medical wing time and time again. He’s going a little crazy, but Merlin doesn’t mind hearing him complain as long it’s not targeted at him.

It’s around the time that Eggsy typically storms in--a few minutes after his therapy appointment, before he goes to train to get back into fighting shape--when he hears someone knock. Differently, more polite, definitely facing the door using their whole hand, not strong enough to be an agent. His hand hesitates over the button that he didn’t even  _ notice  _ he was reaching toward, and he has to remind himself of the proper etiquette. (If you told Merlin a year ago that he would be throwing etiquette, something he’s followed for so many years, to the wayside, he would have laughed right in your face.)

The conversation that follows is boring and completely unnecessary. Someone he hasn’t bothered to learn the name of going over the details of Lancelot’s next mission, a short recon mission in Turkey following the latest trace of any Valentine’s associates that weren’t blessed (or cursed) with being immune. He understands the importance of knowing the ins and outs of everything that goes on from here on out, to prevent another... _ situation _ from occurring, but, feeding him information he himself has ironed out thoroughly over the past week and a half seems a little much.

He catches himself again later on, when he opens his mouth and turns to ask Eggsy’s opinion on something and he remembers that he’s not there. There’s a sinking feeling in his stomach-- _ disappointment?  _ The hell is he disappointed about?--and he takes his glasses off to scrub his hands over his face. Maybe it’s the exhaustion hitting him, but he knows that’s not it.

He may be good at noticing things in regards to others, but my God, he’s  _ shit  _ at noticing things about himself.

He cares so much because he’s grown fond of the younger boy. Even during training, when he swore up and down he wasn’t allowed to have favorites, because  _ every time  _ in the past he hasn’t cared for any of them past hoping they stay alive. But Eggsy’s so...different, feisty in the same ways that Merlin remembers Harry was, even when Eggsy had failed the dog test, it was the first time he was  _ upset _ that someone didn’t make it. (Not to discredit Roxy in any way, of course.)

Eggsy knocks later on, and as Merlin opens the door he’s already talking, about his day and training with Roxy that “kicked his fuckin’ ass, but it was worth it”, and Merlin has planned this. In the time between his...realization of sorts, and now, he knows exactly what’s going to happen. Tactful, smooth, definitely planned--

“I’d like to take you out sometime.”

He turns in his chair to face Eggsy, who’s standing stock-still in front of the couch, mouth agape, and Merlin internally groans. He’s not used to trying to handle his own emotions, he typically just relies on his ability to mask everything and anything that might distract him from his work.

“Come again?”

“I admit, I’ve been rather fond of you for a while,” Merlin says slowly, treading lightly over the words he definitely hasn’t rehearsed, “and I appreciate your company very much. If not, it’s perfectly alright, don’t feel obligated or anything.”

“Sounds fun.”

It’s Merlin’s turn to gape a little, as Eggsy plops himself on the couch and flashes him a smile.

“Oh come on, I would’ve asked myself if you weren’t so bloody unreadable.”

“Aye, I have that same problem with myself.” Eggsy laughs and Merlin’s heart swoops pleasantly.

“Am I gonna get in trouble for sleeping with my boss?” Eggsy asks, and Merlin turns back to his monitor with a shrug of his shoulders.

“Who said I was your boss?”

If he had been looking, he would’ve  _ seen  _ the idea come to Eggsy, and he doesn’t react when Eggsy pushes himself up and crosses the room to stand next to Merlin’s chair.

“So I’m not going to get in trouble for a change?” Eggsy asks, rocking back on his heels, and Merlin glances at him out of the corner of his eye.

“What are you on about, lad?”

“Just wonderin’,” Eggsy hums, watching Merlin, “I won’t get in trouble if I ask to kiss ya?”

Merlin snorts and spins his chair to face him, looking up at him with an amused smile. “You’re almost as smooth as I am.”

“Is that a yes?”

Merlin hums an affirmative and Eggsy’s quick to lean down, gentle fingers resting under Merlin’s chin to tilt him up, kissing him slowly, and quite frankly, and little  _ dirty.  _ And Merlin expected nothing different.

When Eggsy pulls back he still lingers a little too close, hot breath puffing against Merlin’s lips, that sly smile on his face.

“When have you eaten last?”

“Do you want the real answer or the fake one?” Merlin mutters, voice low and a smile creeping onto his lips.

“ _ Hamish,”  _ Eggsy scolds, voice condescending as ever as he stands up straight, and catching Merlin  _ completely  _ off-guard.

“ _ How _ \--”

“What, I’m not allowed to know things too? Up, we’re going to eat.”

“This doesn’t count as the date though,” Merlin says as he shuts down his station, the long and meticulous way that makes Eggsy tap his foot impatiently. He doesn’t have to look to know.

“Nah, you can take me somewhere nice with all that Kingsman money.”

“That you, lad, also have.”

“Yeah, but,” Eggsy bats his eyelashes as Merlin stands up and faces him, “you wouldn’t make me pay, would you?”

“Make you pay some other way, then,” Merlin deadpans, and he can’t help but laugh when Eggsy very obviously wets his lips and ducks his head before following Merlin out of the office.


End file.
